I have two questions for discussion today, I will post them separately to avoid confusion. Here's the first: does anyone have any suggestions on getting a dog to tell you when it's time to go out? We have been bell traing for almost 7 weeks now and Abby just does not get the connection yet...Brady understood in less than a week! Abby is extremely smart, she just can't seem to pick up on this. We take her out frequently and do the bell training each time but there are times when she just decides, ok, time to go, right here where I am. No UTI's, we ruled that out already and she's 7 months now. Brady rings the bell if we are near the kitchen otherwise jumps around in front of the door of the room we are in. Before Brady came in, she started to go towards the door, IF we were near the kitchen, when she needed to go out but that has ceased. It would be great if she would start that again, but what about when we are not near the kitchen? I suppose over time she will learn, just looking for suggestions though!
As for background, we haven't moved away from the basics for housebreaking. She still gets a treat and praises when she goes outside. If we catch her inside, we tell her "no", pick her up or take her collar to stop peeing or pooping and right outside she goes...we don't yell, we don't do anything if we didn't catch her in the act, etc. When we are home, she goes out about every 30 to 45 minutes still. (except when napping...then we take her when she wakes up). She definitely understands that she has to go outside...she go so quick outside and right back in the door...and she has finally stopped going in her crate (she had giardia so we had some crate issues) and makes it until either we come home or our mid-day walkers arrive.
Any suggestions?
As for background, we haven't moved away from the basics for housebreaking. She still gets a treat and praises when she goes outside. If we catch her inside, we tell her "no", pick her up or take her collar to stop peeing or pooping and right outside she goes...we don't yell, we don't do anything if we didn't catch her in the act, etc. When we are home, she goes out about every 30 to 45 minutes still. (except when napping...then we take her when she wakes up). She definitely understands that she has to go outside...she go so quick outside and right back in the door...and she has finally stopped going in her crate (she had giardia so we had some crate issues) and makes it until either we come home or our mid-day walkers arrive.
Any suggestions?